Color Run planned for May in West Manheim

The event will be held at the township park

An exciting new activity is scheduled to take place in May at West Manheim Township's Park.

The township's first "Dash for Color 5K" event, set for 8 a.m. to noon May 17 was approved by the supervisors at their recent meeting.

The park has had many other successful 5K events, but this will be its first Color Run, said Christine Gienski, park board chairwoman.

The color Run is a new twist to a regular 5K run, as every runner wears old clothes and gets colored cornstarch thrown on them at color stations throughout the run, Gienski said.

The idea was brought to the park board last month by Dee Stremmel, a South Western High School consumer science teacher and diversity club adviser, Gienski said.

"By the time the runner is finished they can be all colors of the rainbow from top to bottom," Gienski said in October. "This is a really up-and-coming idea that people seem to love. Everywhere that has them the race is packed. It looks like lots of fun and gets loads of participation."

Stremmel and Madison Bortner from the diversity club accompanied Gienski to the township meeting to get the supervisors' approval for the event. The supervisors questioned if a water source would be necessary for the runners to wash the color off after the race. Stremmel said having running water at the race would not be necessary.

Advertisement

"It's a very popular event across the country and people want the color on their T-shirts and clothes to prove they were in the race," said Stremmel with a laugh. "Most people just wash off their face and hands with wet-wipes and bring a blanket or towel to wrap in after the race before getting in their vehicles."

Almost everyone who races is guaranteed to get a colorful glow, Stremmel said, as the race packet given to each participant also contains a pack of colored corn starch which the racers throw on each other at the end of the event.

Known as the "happiest 5K on the planet," The Color Run celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality and giving back to the community, according to its website.

As the single largest event series in the United States -- in 2013 alone, runners have participated in more than 170 events in more than 30 countries -- the run works with a variety of charities around the states in addition to its global charity partner, Global Poverty Project, the nonprofit behind Global Citizen. The Color Run has donated more than $1 million to charity since its founding in 2012, the website states.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story